1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a managing method for an information processor system that manages a plurality of information processors in groups on the basis of identification information owned by the respective information processors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In FA (Factory Automation) fields, which contains an assembly operation, such as a big steel plant, a paper making plant, and an automotive industry, PA (Plant Automation) fields such as a chemical plant, and industrial systems such as a water supply-sewerage system and other public systems, there has been widely adopted a control system using a plurality of control processors. In order that a monitor device can monitor the control processors, they are provided with identification information, respectively. Note below that the identification information will be referred to as “ID” and in plural form it will be referred to as “IDs”.
FIG. 1 is a structural view of such a control device system. This figure shows that a monitoring device 23 communicates with a plurality of control devices 1a˜1n through a transmission line 24. In this control device system 22, the control devices 1a˜1n have IDs, respectively. Accordingly, the monitor device 23 identifies the respective control devices 1a˜1n with the use of respective IDs.
Such an ID-using method has a disadvantage that the monitor device 23 cannot grasp the whole constitution of the control device system unless the communication between the monitor device 23 and all of the control devices 1a˜1n has been carried out completely. If the control devices 1a˜1n are communicated with each other through a wired transmission line, it wouldn't be inconvenient so much to grasp the whole constitution of the control device system. However, if a wireless type transmission line connects the control devices 1a˜1n are connected with each other through a wireless type transmission line, and additionally the structures of them are always variable, it is considerably inconvenient to grasp the whole constitution of the control device system.
Since the ID of the respective information processors (i.e. the control devices 1a˜1n) has a simple function, the conventional information processor system has an issue that a higher-level information processor (i.e. the monitor device 23) cannot grasp the constitution of the whole system (i.e. all of lower-level information processors) unless the communication between the higher information processor and all of the lower-level information processors (i.e. the control devices 1a to 1n) has been completed.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2001-14889 discloses a wireless information processor that improves both efficiency in wireless communication and workability of the whole system. In the wireless information processor, even if a plurality of wireless communication mediums enter into a communicable area simultaneously, it is possible to prevent them from responding simultaneously.
However, this wireless information processor does not manage the ID of an information processor in relation to the IDs of the other information processor.